ŠKODA drivers carry IRC title hopes to Cyprus

ŠKODA drivers start this weekend’s Cyprus Rally in the strongest position to add the Intercontinental Rally Challenge Drivers’ title to the Manufacturers’ title already won, when Andreas Mikkelsen (ŠKODA UK Motorsport), Jan Kopecký and Juho Hänninen (ŠKODA Motorsport) and Freddy Loix (BFO ŠKODA Rally Team) head to the final round of the series in a quartet of Fabia S2000s.

Although victory alone in Cyprus might not be enough for Andreas to lift the title, he will arrive on the Mediterranean island on top form. In a steadily-improving season, he and co-driver Ola Fløene have at times led the last five rallies in the Azores, Czech Republic, Hungary, Sanremo and Scotland – finishing on the podium twice before scoring a career-first IRC win last time out on the penultimate rally of the season.

Last weekend, Andreas also became Italian Gravel Trophy Champion on the Rally Conca d’Oro in Sicily.

In an exceptionally busy season, in which Andreas has also contested Rally Finland and been part of the FIA Institute Young Driver Excellence Academy, the Cyprus Rally will be his 17th and final rally this season. It won’t be his final public appearance in a ŠKODA rally car however, as Andreas will drive a Fabia WRC at the Solberg Extreme Motorshow, which takes place in at Telenor Arena near Oslo on Saturday 26 November.

The Cyprus Rally is likely to be one of the most difficult events of the year, as the IRC title decider will be played out on a tough mixed surface event, with a near 50:50 split of rough gravel mountain tracks and smooth asphalt roads. Andreas is the only one of the five IRC title contenders who go to Cyprus having contested the event last year.

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Team Mikkelsen is a fan blog dedicated to the Norwegian Andreas Mikkelsen IRC driver. We don't have financial interest. Just entertainment. All material published on this blog is properly credited. If any published material that is inappropriate let us know to remove it.